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Synonyms

beating

American  
[bee-ting] / ˈbi tɪŋ /

noun

  1. the act of a person or thing that beats, as to punish, clean, mix, etc..

    Give the rug a good beating.

  2. a defeat or reverse; loss; setback

    Several stocks took a beating in the market today.

  3. pulsation; throbbing.

    the beating of her heart.
beating British  
/ ˈbiːtɪŋ /

noun

  1. a whipping or thrashing, as in punishment

  2. a defeat or setback

  3. to be difficult to improve upon

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of beating

First recorded in 1200–50; from Middle English betynge; see beat, -ing 1

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

This month, a video-generation model called HappyHorse went viral after beating American rivals in blind quality tests.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 26, 2026

Llamas praised the performance of his peers who have seen the image of their profession take a beating in recent years.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 26, 2026

Several hundred miles away, the traditional order in Scotland was turned over in 2007, when the SNP stunned the political establishment by beating Labour in another of its spiritual homelands.

From BBC • Apr. 25, 2026

Total revenue rose 3% to $8.72 billion, beating calls for $8.63 billion.

From Barron's • Apr. 24, 2026

I had taken a beating all day and I was whipped.

From "Woodsong" by Gary Paulsen

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.